The conformation of present-day Catania, in the shadow of mount Etna on the Eastern coast of Sicily, is the result of centuries of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and alternating overlords.
The heart of the city is piazza Duomo with the Cathedral of St. Agatha, patron saint of the city, which was begun in 1091 by Ruggero the Norman, destroyed by earthquake in 1693 and rebuilt from 1736 as the neo-classical façade demonstrates; to the north, the 17th century Palazzo degli Elefanti is used as the Town Hall; to the south, Palazzo dei Chierici is linked to the cathedral by a walkway above porta Uzeda, its very recognisable façade alternating black volcanic sand with the white stone of Ispica; and facing the Cathedral, is the statue of the elephant (u’ Liotru) in honour of the Catanese martyr.
Behind the cathedral, beneath the tunnel of the walls of Charles V, the ancient fish market (la Pescheria) provides an extremely lively and picturesque atmosphere on a daily basis.
The monumental complex of the Benedictine Monastery, identifiable by the arch that opens onto via Crociferi, was built in 1558 and decorated in the following centuries with expensive marbles. Ten minutes from the cathedral is the Benedictine Monastery of San Nicolò l’Arena, a late Sicilian Baroque jewel built in the 1500s and an example of architectural integration of styles from different time periods.
Palazzo Bischeri is the best example of the city’s Baroque style: rebuilt after the earthquake in 1693, its rooms include the salone delle feste, Rococò like much of the furnishing and decorations.
Sicilia Film Commission
Via Emanuele Notarbartolo 9 — 90141 Palermo
Phone: +39 091 7078008; +39 091 7078264; +39 091 7078133; +39 091 7078145
Email: filmcommission@regione.sicilia.it
